Intertwining Stars
by Kari Kurofai
Summary: Sequel to Every Time, My Heart Will Reach Yours. About the bonds of brotherhood, learning to trust, and the power of destiny. Too bad love is never easy. Warriors AU SLASH TigerFire, BreezeJay, AshSoot, BerryBirch, plus, some mystery pairings!
1. Chapter 1

**Intertwining Stars: Show Me The World**

Jay remembered darkness. That's all he ever remembered. Even in his dreams. He was scared of it, he was terrified of the darkness that was always around him. it never left. He knew that the world wasn't supposed to look this way because he could hear it. How could things like cars be built, if you couldn't see your hands to build them, or the parts to build them with?

Their mother would turn on the TV for them, and he could hear Holly laughing at things. "That guy just tripped," she'd explain when he asked her. But he never found that very funny. He tripped, all the time. After all, he couldn't see the sidewalk, the ground, the carpet, stairs, anything. His world was one color, and one shade, and that was never going to change.

He only knew the things in the different apartments they lived in. His toys: little cars, a stuffed cat, things like that. He could memorize the halls and rooms in a few days, but they moved so much that, after awhile, it all started to mingle together. And he didn't know about things outside. If they all went out, he went too. But other than that, his mother made him stay inside.

"Jay, look at this."

The smallest triplet glanced up through the darkness in the direction of his brother's voice. "Leo, I can't _look_ at anything."

Leo laughed, "No, look, like this."

The eldest triplet grabbed his brother's hands, turning them palm up, before placing something in them. Jay turned the item over in his hands. It was small and delicate, papery in feel, but slightly smoother. From the middle, it split into parts, flaring out and ending with slightly jagged edges. And it smelled good; he could tell even without bringing it up to his nose. He'd never felt anything like it before.

"It's a flower," Leo explained, "I found it at the park." He guided his brother's hands along the edges of it, "These are the petals, see? They're pink."

"Pink?" As he said the word, the color flared into his mind. The color of a cat's nose and of small flowers in a clearing. Jay's eyes widened, _what was that_?

"It's a color," Leo said.

Jay held out his hands towards his brother, "Give me more colors."

Leo laughed, and guided Jay's hands to his shirt, "Okay. This is red."

A flash of red in his mind: the color of death berries and of newly fallen leaves. "Is it always red?" he asked.

"No, I have lots of different shirts. But we're both wearing red today."

Jay tilted his head to the side, feeling confused, "Do we always dress the same?"

Leo grinned, "Yup. That's what mom does, I guess. Holly's the only one who gets away with looking different." He raised Jay's hands so that the smaller boy could feel the smile on his face.

The silver-gray haired boy took the initiative to explore, letting his fingers trace all the lines and curves of his brother's features. "Are eyes different colors?" he asked, feeling over the top of Leo's closed eyes.

"Mhhmm . . ." Leo murmured, "Yours are a really pretty blue. And mine are . . . What did mom call it again? Oh yeah, amber."

Amber. The color flashed into Jay's mind, and he could briefly glimpse a pair of eyes of the color. But they were not his brother's eyes as he knew them now. They were . . . Different somehow. His fingers curled into the edges of Leo's hair, "What about this?"

"It's orange. Most people call it red, but it's not really, it looks a lot different," Leo stared pointedly down at his shirt, as if to demonstrate.

Orange. Jay could see a cat now, with ginger-orange fur and amber eyes. And he knew, somehow, he knew that this was his brother, just as Leo was his brother, this cat was too. They were the same being. They shared the same soul. Slowly, he trailed his fingers through Leo's hair again. He liked the feel of it. It was just as thick as his own hair, yet somehow, different.

Leo giggled a bit, and shoved Jay's hands away, "You're tickling now, stop it."

"But I want to know more," Jay protested. "What color is the sun?" He liked the sun. He could feel it, even if he couldn't see it or actually touch it.

"It's sort of . . . Gold, or yellowish, I think." Leo tried to explain. But there was no flash of color this time. Maybe because he wasn't touching it. And he knew that it was impossible to touch the sun; it was too hot.

"What else?"

Leo looked up at the ceiling of their current apartment thoughtfully. "Hmmm . . . Well, I'll ask mom if we can go to the park again tomorrow. You'll like it, I hope. It's a lot of fun."

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Jay trailed is hands along the edges of the playground equipment as he walked, listening as Leo told him the colors. He'd never been to a playground before. It was very strange. And loud. If Leo hadn't been right beside him, he might have panicked.

"Here's the slide," Leo told him, guiding Jay to sit down behind him, "It's really fun. But hold onto me tight, okay?"

The smaller sibling obeyed, and wrapped his arms tight around his brother's waist. He wasn't exactly sure what this "slide" thing was. Only he could sense that they were sitting on the edge of something, because the area ahead of him was full of a light breeze that wasn't being blocked by playground equipment. "Leo? I'm not so sure about-"

Leo snickered, and took the moment to push off from the top of the slide.

"-Thiiiiisss!" Jay squeaked, as they shot down the slide. His stomach plummeted in his body and came back up as they ground to a halt in the playground sand.

"You can let go now, Jay," Leo informed, trying to loosen the hands around him. "I can't breath."

Jay slowly raised his head from his brother's shoulder, his eyes shining, "That was . . . What's next?"

Leo grinned, "The swings of course!" He led his brother towards them, carefully seating him down on one of the old fashioned wooden ones. "These are the best kind, these old ones. Cause two people can ride." He went around the other side, and twined Jay's hands around the ropes holding the thing off the ground. "Hang on really tight. I mean _really_ tight."

"Errr . . . What does this do?" Jay asked, feeling as though this was going to be very different from a slide.

Leo thought for a minute, before replying, "It makes you fly."

"Fly?" Jay asked, feeling confused. People couldn't fly. Birds flew, though he'd never "seen" a bird. And planes flew, though he'd never been on a plane.

Leo took the chance, and pulled the swing back, before shoving it forward again. He caught hold of the ropes at the last second, and jumped on behind his brother, his feet on either side of Jay's waist.

Though it didn't make a difference, Jay clamped his eyes shut. They were suddenly airborne and his feet were no longer touching the ground, not that they really had been before, but . . . The wind whipped past them, and he could hear Leo laughing. And then, just as suddenly, they were dipping back down in the opposite direction. And Jay's stomach did a summersault.

They were five years old, and it was the first time Jay had ever felt like the world was a place he could belong in.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

First chapter, out! FINALLY!!! D: And I would like you all to remember that the pairing of LionJay is really prominent in this fic. Their bond is really deep. I tried to begin to express that this chapter. The fact that for a long, long time, Lionblaze/Leo, was Jay's whole world. He was the one that essentially, gave him the world. Uhhhh . . . Idk what else to say. Tora and Hiro will show up eventually, and I'm sure you're all waiting to find out what happened with Hiro's therapy. Ahahahaha. *is evil* anywho . . . Probably none of them until third or fourth chapter, at the very earliest. :D And I would like to remind all of you again, that this fic is RATED M!!! And for a lot of reasons. *cough*incest*cough* and there will be more smut this fic, but that's actually not how I planned it. It's sort of . . . Necessary? For Leo and Jay, for Jay and Breeze, for Tora and Hiro, and for Leo and . . . Well, if I told you that last name, it would spoil the secret, wouldn't it! Lol.

And . . . This is stuck in my head now. "I can show you dah world. Shinin shimmerin splendid. Tell me princess, now when did u last let ur heart decide?"

Ack. *laughs*


	2. Chapter 2

Intertwining Stars: Shifting Sand

**Jay remembered, a lot more than he'd have ever liked to. At first, he wondered if it was some sort of strange world he'd simply made up in his dreams. But that wasn't possible. He dreamed in darkness before, but never this. He didn't dream at all before these new dreams, just darkness, not even sound. But now, now he could hear things while he slept. Things that he should have never been able to hear. That he had never heard before, but instantly recognized.**

**Things like the crunch of bracken and bramble under soft pawsteps. Or small mews of conversation. The smell of herbs and forests, and a vast area of water. The sounds of birds overhead, and of mice hiding in the ferns. And sometimes, he could even **_**see**_** in these dreams. He could see his brother, as he was in this strange other world: a broad shouldered ginger tom-cat with amber eyes. He was strong, and fearless. And he always held his head high.**

**There were others too, but not many that he recognized. Holly, a couple of people he'd sensed before merely in passing, though he didn't know them. The broad shouldered tabby he saw in his dreams, one of the only cats he could see, had the same soul as a boy he'd sensed at the playground before. And the girl who was often beside him, she was the same as the tortoiseshell with the white muzzle he'd seen.**

**This was the one thing about his dreams he couldn't understand. That Leo was his brother, but somehow, the cat with the beautiful flame colored fur and amber eyes was also his brother. In fact, the cat and Leo were the same; he knew they were. They were not the exact same person . . . Or cat for that matter, they were worlds apart. This part just sounds weird. U say they are not the same, but then u say they are. What do u mean? (same soul, different body, different circumstances, different path in life. TRC ref there, thought u'd get it for sures. *pouts*) He'd heard a word before that he guessed might be the right one, dimensions, maybe? But his brother, and this cat shared the same soul. And he knew that in that other world, there was a cat with his soul too. Maybe it was that cat's dreams he was seeing and hearing through, and not his own. Why dream of something he'd never seen?**

**He was curious about the others he'd felt that had had a similar air about them. The ones with the air of having seen things they never should have seen. From a life not theirs, though the memories themselves were often locked away. Just like that boy in the park and his friend. He knew that they had a form in that dream world too. He knew because he could see them through his dreams. But their forms were shrouded in mist, like he was looking through two sets of dreams, his own, and his other self's. visions of Holly or Leo were different entirely. They were clear and focused, like a simple memory.**

**So he begged his mother to take them to the park often. He and Leo would sit in the sand box together, something Jay enjoyed doing as he liked the feel of the sand, and he would observe this stranger as best as he could. His eyes would be amber, he remembered it from his dreams, and Leo had confirmed this for him. It was that color that haunted him. The same as his brother's, yet so strikingly different, though he didn't know why.**

**The boy sat by himself, often on the swings, though the one girl, a relative Jay supposed, would try to talk him into playing with her many times. But he always refused. He would sit on the swing, not swinging like all the other children, but rather, just rocking himself back and forth on it on the balls of his feet. He was like that every day and Jay couldn't reach past his haze of emotions to sense what he was thinking about. But he could tell that somehow, this child, not much older than himself, was struggling inside. Struggling with breaking and rebuilding some unwritten code that Jay himself knew very well. The older boy was struggling with the morals he'd held in that alternate world, and the ones he'd come to understand in this one. And yet he was still too young to understand what he was doing and Jay could sense no conscious memories of that other place in the boy.**

**He felt the boy smile only once. Just once. It had been on a rather cloudy day when Jay and his siblings were six. Six-and-a-half, Leo said. He'd heard the sudden approach of a stranger to the amber eyed child, and a curious, "Want to play with me?"**

**And like he could his brother, Jay had seen the image of this new person in his mind. Of the cat this person had been. A magnificent, fire furred tom with emerald eyes. He'd listened to them play together, and run off for shelter under some trees when it had started to rain. His own mother had made them go home.**

**And after that day, the amber eyed boy was gone. The girl was still there sometimes, but she was older than her relative, and not as interested in the playground as someone younger might have been. And the boy with the emerald eyes had returned the next day, and had looked for his companion, but he did not return after that. And neither did the amber eyed child.**

**And for a long time after that, Jay tried his best to forget about the place in his dreams. It was useless to him, because it wasn't this world, and this world was his own. Not that other one.**

**^-^ ^-^ ^-^**

**Tora had never really enjoyed the company of other children. And he didn't need it. They said his eyes were scary. People's eyes weren't supposed to be the strange mix of oranges and yellows and browns that made up his own. And he knew that. So he sat by himself on the swings when his parents insisted on brining him here after school everyday. Mitsuki, his cousin, came here often as well. She bothered him, in more ways than one.**

**Somehow, when he was with her, he felt different. Like something dark and awful inside him was trying to rise up and take over. **_**The other me**_**. That's what he called it. He knew it was there, a shadow in the corners of his mind. He knew it in the same way he knew the rules he instinctively followed. That at lunch, the younger students should eat first and then himself, but before the students older than him. He knew that the full moon was a special time and he always stayed up late watching it for reasons he couldn't explain. There were many other rules as well, too many to count.**

**But the shadow inside him wanted to tear them away. To make him forget those rules and be eaten by the shadow itself. So he would sit. Sit and fight off the shadow inside of him.**

**He'd never expected someone to approach him.**

"**Want to play with me?"**

**Beautiful emerald eyes had stared up at him from the face of a redheaded boy a few years younger than him. Tora had raised an eyebrow at the child, and said nothing.**

**The orange haired boy looked down at his feet as if embarrassed. "Sorry . . . I just wanted someone to play with," he whispered quietly.**

"**You're not scared of me?" Tora asked suddenly, confused.**

**The boy looked startled at this, "No! why would I be?"**

**Tora made a motion towards his face, "My eyes. My eyes are amber."**

**The boy grinned, "I think they're pretty!" **

**The dark haired boy scowled. Pretty was hardly a compliment to a boy. But he got up from the swing anyways. There were more reasons that this boy should be scared of him, more than there were for any of the other children in this playground. But he didn't know why that would be, he just knew. And yet the redhead was strangely oblivious to this unspoken fact.**

"**Fine, sure, I'll play with you," Tora decided.**

**They ran together through the playground. Up the plastic and metal stairs and racing down the slides. It was the most fun Tora had ever had before in his life. Even when it had suddenly started raining, he'd merely grabbed the younger child's hand and sought shelter under the low boughs of a nearby tree.**

**They sat beneath it together, giggling and laughing as if the rain was the funniest thing in the world. "You know," Tora said suddenly, "you're eyes are really pretty too."**

**The other boy laughed again, "Everyone says that, but I really don't think they're that special."**

**Tora shook his head, turning to watch the rain drip off the leaves above them. There was a sudden noise, and his companion looked out from under the tree, his eyes wide.**

"**My mom's calling me," he said quietly.**

**The dark haired boy felt his insides clench at this. "Wait-" he grabbed the other boy's wrist sharply, his other hand fumbling to remove something from one of his fingers. "You'll come back, right?" He pleaded, slipping the small black ring he'd removed from his right hand over the other boy's finger. **

**The redhead smiled, and nodded, before dashing away towards his mother's voice.**

**It was nearly an hour later when Tora realized that he had never learned the boy's name.**

**RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE**

**Dum dee dee . . . Actually, at the time I'm writing this, you guys are still reading ETMHWRY.**

**This chapter focuses on the crisscrossing paths of the characters in their pasts. Jay, Leo, Holly, Tora, and Mitsuki all lived in the same town when they were younger, about twenty miles from the city where Chi hangs out. Breeze lives in Chi at this point in time. And Tora moves there. The town Raikou High is located in, is about seventy miles in the opposite direction of Jay's playground. Past Chi's city. And it focuses about the intertwining worlds of the forest/lake and this one. Tora and the other children automatically know the Warrior Code, as seen in the example of the Lunch Line and the Moon. (Full Moon Gathering, and feed the clan before yourself.) The next two chapters will focus on similar things. The next one revolving around a certain little pretty eyed girl that distracts Leo. The one after that about Ash and his bond with someone who has been "gone" for a long time in the period of ETMHWRY. And the chapter after that . . . :3 something evil and most awsum in the laws of "twin" (?) bondage. Before we start to go into the actual "sequel" part of this fic. The prequelish bits are important, trust me. :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**Intertwining Stars: Wings Upon The Wind**

Jay was not allowed to stay a whole day at school. At least, not the same school as Leo and Holly. He spent the mornings with his brother and sister in the same classroom, before his mother picked him up just before lunch to take him to his "special" school. That's what she called it. But it was simply the school where he learned to read Braille. And where they attempted to teach him how to use a cane, which he refused to do. He could feel and hear and smell as good as anyone, if not better. He didn't need sight to walk and he didn't need some ridiculous stick thing to guide him.

But he only got to spend the mornings with his brother at school and the older they got, the less time they had together from various activities and homework assignments. At least, activities on Leo's part, a blind child couldn't play sports or read music. Those were things that Leo did by himself. Places where even if his brother was there, Jay wouldn't be able to understand.

Jay remembered the day when he first noticed the way his brother behaved around that girl. The way she behaved around him. They had the same tones in their voices as those people on the shows his mother watched in the afternoons during the summer. And Jay hated the fact that his brother was acting like them. They were only in sixth grade! It was idiotic!

The silver-gray haired boy didn't really have any sort of interest in girls. The only ones he even liked at all were Holly, his mother, and his doctor's daughter, Cindy. Otherwise they were all just a bunch of giggly fluff-heads. This included his brother's new "friend."

Heather. That was her name, he heard Leo whisper it in a way Jay had only ever heard him do a few times before. But the whispers were no longer directed at him and the world Leo had painted in his mind was slowly being washed away by darkness again. Leo didn't have the time, it seemed, to give him more colors and redraw it for his brother.

It had been on one of the days when Leo hadn't been home, but over at Heather's house with Holly, that his mother had brought something very interesting home with her.

Jay had only ever met his father a few times before, as he had actually been a one night stand with his mother. But neither of his parents had existed in that _other_ place, so Jay couldn't describe them. But he could describe what his parents had brought with them that day.

Another child, a boy a few months older than him. He'd whined when his father had pushed him forward to meet Jay, and had been angry when Jay hadn't looked at him.

"I'm blind," Jay had said simply. He didn't really like this new child. His arrogance, his sarcasm. But he could feel the shock from the other as he'd said that.

"Blind?" The boy held up a hand in front of Jay's face, moving back and forth, noticing the way the blue eyes didn't follow the movement.

"Yeah, so you can go away or whatever, I don't care," Jay muttered, returning to playing with his small toy cars on the rug.

"Why would I do that?"

It was Jay's turn to be startled, and he glanced sightlessly at the boy with a raised eyebrow. "Because everyone does," he said simply, "Except for my family."

Jay could feel the boy's broad smile in his words as he spoke next, "I'm your family too. My dad say's we're half brothers. So that makes us family."

The silver-gray haired boy turned more fully towards the other now, intrigued. "Hmmm . . . Can I touch you then? Your face I mean. I want to feel what you look like."

The other boy was silent for a moment, before he grabbed his half-brother's hands and lifted them to his face.

Jay traced along the other's jaw line first, then up to his nose and mouth, and to his eyes. "What color are your eyes?" he asked.

"Amber," the boy said, "but how do you know colors?"

"If I touch them, I can see them in my mind. But someone has to tell me what color they are first," Jay replied, moving up to the boy's short, spiky hair. "And your hair?"

"Black."

It was the most familiar color to Jay and he ran his fingers through the short strands again and again in fascination. He could feel it now, that this child had also been a cat in that other place, though he'd never seen him in his dreams. He recognized the voice though, the sarcasm, the curiosity as strong as his own. The determination.

He removed his hands, "Thank you. Only my brother let's me do that, it's nice to know now that not everyone has the same sort of face." He laughed softly.

"I'm your brother too," the other reminded him with a smirk.

Jay nodded, "Yeah." There were footsteps and he heard his father enter the room, calling out to the other boy for them to leave. Jay stood up and grasped the back of the dark haired boy's jacket. "I . . . know I won't see you again," he said quietly as his father tugged his new brother away, "Please don't forget me." That was his only wish, for him to be important to more than just one person in this huge world, even if it was only for a moment.

"I won't forget you, Jay. I'll remember you every time I hear the wind on the water."

Jay's eyes widened in understanding. This other child, he could hear it too. The waves on the lake surface as they'd sat together for those few brief moments. The sound of a lake that was worlds away. "Me too, Breeze. I'll remember you too."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Hmmm . . . This chapter actually took a lot of thought. I was going to cut it; it was short and had information I'd debated about for a long time in it. But Jay's jealousy of Heather is key, as well as the other fact presented in here. That Breeze, is in fact, Jay and Leo's brother. I'd been debating about making that fact cross over in this world since ETMHWRY when Breeze was first introduced, and decided to make it fact after Jay meets Hiro. Remember how Hiro asked if they were brothers? But, fyi, Crowfeather is not their father. And Leafpool is not their mother. :3

Reasoning behind all of this? Well, I said family relations were not usually as strong as ones of love/friendship. And although Crow and Leaf's bond with their children sucks, Breezepelt's bond with Jayfeather and Lionblaze is different, something I hope will play a part in Omen Of The Stars. And plus, the bond of kitties of New Prophecy was too strong to be broken in my opinion. (except for Tawnypelt. What was the point of her?) So can you guess what that means? Where are Brambleclaw and Crowfeather are right now? (I've had people ask.) Brambleclaw will show up three chapters from now. :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Intertwining Stars: Broken Glass**

His name had been Ashfur, he remembered. He remembered more than most of the people around him suspected he did. He remembered the barking of dogs and their hot breath on his heals as he'd run. He remembered the ground and trees being torn up by bulldozers and people. He remembered walking for so, so long. Through the cold and the snow, over mountains and rocks.

And he remembered his brother. His precious little brother Taku. How could he not? He remembered being curled around him on the coldest of nights, hunting with him, sharing tongues with him. But he couldn't remember anything after they'd first reached the shores of the lake. His mind was black past that point, as if there was something he wasn't supposed to remember. Something too horrible to remember.

Taku was two years younger than him, his half brother. And it was wrong for Ash to care for him as deeply as he did, he knew very well that it was wrong. But he didn't care.

He remembered the first time he had kissed his brother, when he was fourteen and Taku was twelve. The younger boy with the brown and gray hair hadn't pulled away. No, he hadn't even flinched as Ash pulled him close. His arms had wrapped around him so tightly, it was a wonder he'd ever let go at all.

And Ash had kissed him. First softly, testing whether his brother would reject him or not. But Taku pulled him closer, his blue eyes more desperate than his older brother's. It was a desperation Ash didn't understand until much later. A desperation that spurned from the shrouded, dark half of Ash's memory of that other world.

And the desperation spread to him with each soft touch, each breath. He ravaged his brother's mouth as the feeling spread. He didn't know why there was that fear in the missing memories, but he didn't want to feel it. So he felt other things instead. The taste of Taku's mouth against his own, the rapid beating of their hearts together, the sound of their mingled breaths.

The year was spent in secrets and whispers. Waiting till their parents were out until he and his brother could be alone with their sin. He was gentle with his brother, never hurting him, never going to far. He waited until Taku was thirteen, and their parents were at a New Years party, before he took him for the first and only time. He could still remember it, the way their bodies had mingled together into one. The sweat, sharp intakes of breath, and the interlaced fingers. It had been the most perfect night of his life, holding his brother so close to him.

And the next night had been the worst of his life. They were going to visit some relatives across town for a family get together. It was supposed to be a peaceful, two and a half hour trip.

He wished it had been. He couldn't understand how Starclan could be so cruel to him, why they'd hidden his memories from him. If he had known . . . Oh, if only he had known what lay in that dark place in his mind.

They were on the highway, going up steep hill across the mountains. A large semi truck was in front of them and his father was complaining about not being able to get around it. There was a loud snapping sound and a squeal of tires on gravel as the truck's brakes gave out. His tried to swerve the car out of the way as the truck barreled backwards down on them. Glass shattered, and metal crunched. The impact sent their car flipping off the side of the road, the truck tipping over onto its side.

Ash had struggled with his seatbelt as he hung upside-down in the overturned car. His face was bleeding, cut by the glass of the windows and he tore out a large piece from his right cheek, hissing with pain. Beside him, Taku was staring at the floor of the car that now lay above them, his eyes empty. Ash managed to free himself, and he quickly crawled over towards his brother on his hands and knees across the glass littered on the car's roof. He undid his brother from the seat after a few panicked minutes of trying to undo the crash locked seatbelt, catching his unmoving form in his arms. He didn't think as he dragged Taku outside the wreckage, checking for wounds on his brother's body.

When he pulled away, his hands were covered in blood; there was a thick trail of it leading away from the car. But he couldn't find the wound. His hands trembled as he felt his brother's body, and he flinched as he cut his fingers on a large piece of glass protruding from the side of his Taku's neck. It cut straight through his jugular vein, down into his spine. And as Ash felt at Taku's chest, there was no heartbeat, and on his face, there was no breath.

Tears clouded his eyes, and he shook his little brother in desperation, finally understanding why the feeling had been there between them for the past year. But Taku didn't wake. And as the sirens sounded on the road above, Ash screamed. He raised his head to sky, and screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

Months passed and when his father was released from the hospital, they returned home. His mother wanted them to move, so Ash took it upon himself to pack up his brothers things. No one else should have been allowed to touch them.

That's when he found the letter, buried in the bottom of Taku's dresser.

_Big brother,_

_If you're reading this, then I am no longer alive. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I knew about that world you spoke of, the one in your dreams. But I did. I remembered what happened after that dark portion of your memories. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to feel guilty that you couldn't stop my death, had you known. But I knew it would happen, whether you knew or not. And I was so happy that we had this last year together as we did, big brother. You are the most important person to me in any world, and that will never change. But you will meet many other people who will help you heal your heart. I wish I could have been there to meet them too. Please don't cry, big brother. I don't want you to cry for me._

_Love eternally_

_Takuwaeru_

Ash kept the letter, along with many of his brother's things, in a box under his bed. And every night after, he closed the curtains, and refused to look at the stars, for they had betrayed him. Taku, Sootfur, was gone.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

*sniff* sadness chapter. It even made me tear up. The title of the chapter, yes, refers to my other fic, Glass Fire Curse. Taku's full name is Takuwaeru, which means "heart's treasure," basically. I chose that for his name cause I'm here, internetless, and having forgotten to look up a translation for his name. :D

But I thought it fit. *pouts* anywho . . . Yeah, I went into very little detail about Taku and Ash's smut, cause I wanted to save all the brotherly angst for next chapter. :3


	5. Chapter 6

**Intertwining Stars: Nothing I Won't Give**

**THE PICTURES ARE OUT PEOPLE! TAKE A LOOK!**

*le cough* I'm sure I don't have to remind you all of this, cause most of you read ETMHWRY, the prequel to this fic. But here we have incest and smut off the rockers. Actually, a lot more graphic than in ETMHWRY. ???

Jay couldn't exactly remember what had happened that had caused something like that so suddenly. Maybe it was something he said, or did that made Leo bring that stupid thing home with him. But it was only stupid in the fact that Leo had had the thing at all, not what it had caused.

"My friend gave me something cool to watch tonight," Leo explained, sticking the DVD into the player on their TV. He smiled as his brother raised an eyebrow at the word 'watch', but said nothing. They were fifteen now, freshman in high school.

Jay returned to reading the book he was concentrating on, his fingers skimming over the tiny bumps on the pages. And he blinked, as he heard the moan from the TV. Turning, he listened closer, his eyes widening. "What the hell did you bring home Leo?"

"Porn," Leo said proudly, "My friend lent it to me. And Mom and Holly are out having 'girl time.'" Jay smirked, knowing his brother was making sarcastic air quotes with his hands, "I'll tell you what's happening, Jay. You watch too."

Jay obeyed, a bit curious. He didn't particularly like movies, but he'd also never understood the basics of sex, though by now he'd learned about it twice in school classes. He couldn't see the videos they showed or the pictures, so he didn't know, and that was that. And it would be mortifying to have his brother tell him in the middle of class, and he forgot once they got home. It hadn't mattered till now.

Plus, up until this point, Jay didn't think he had any sex drive at all. He couldn't even count how many times he'd caught his brother doing something weird in the bathroom. But he himself had never tried any of that; it didn't interest him in the slightest.

But now, sitting here, as Leo described every movement to him to match the sounds he was hearing, Jay's body was reacting. He was blushing profusely, his face was burning, he could feel it. And after a few minutes, he'd crossed his legs to hide what was probably very noticeable to people who could see. In many ways, he supposed this was like that thing . . . What was it called . . . Oh, yeah, phone sex. No visual, only sounds and descriptions.

Jay squirmed uncomfortably, and wondered when he'd be able to slip away and get rid of this problem. It was as he was shifting around, that Leo was suddenly in front of him. The taller boy was leaning over him, and Jay gasped as his brother's hand groped him harshly through his jeans. "L-Leo! What are you doing!"

Leo appeared a bit startled at the question, but shrugged in response, and massaged the bulge in his brother's pants again. "What do you mean? It hurts if you hold it in."

"We're . . . brothers," Jay whispered, his words faltering as Leo caught his mouth against his own.

"But I love you, Jay more than anyone," Leo said quietly, pulling away slightly.

"And what about Heather?" Jay's voice broke at the memory of the girl he hated, and he wondered if Leo had done this with her too.

"I never loved her like I do you, Jay," Leo insisted, "I never did this with her, never wanted to. You've always been everything to me."

"Please . . . Don't lie to me," Jay pleaded, trying to move away from his brother's touch. "I don't-"

"It's not a lie, Jayfeather."

Jay's eyes snapped open at this, surprise gripping him. He had never told his brother his own name from that world. "Leo . . ."

Leo said nothing, pushing his brother's shirt over his head, and then his own, pressing their mouths together feverishly. He tugged at his brother's pants, slipping them down and tossing them aside, his other hand clicking the TV off so as not to distract him. He took Jay's mouth against this own again, his hands running across his brother's exposed chest. He hadn't lied. Jay truly was the center of his whole world. Not Holly, not Heather, but Jay. Jay, and Jay alone.

The redhead leaned down, nibbling gently at his brother's neck before ducking down to nip at one of his nipples, smirking against bare skin as he heard Jay hiss. "You don't need your eyes for this, Jay," he murmured, lips ghosting over the smaller boy's chest as he made his way down. His ran his fingers along the inside of his sibling's leg, teasingly, tauntingly, making the other shiver.

Jay gasped in shock as Leo slid his fingers inside of him without warning, and they both toppled backwards across the carpet. "What are you-" He whimpered, trying to draw back from the strange feeling.

"I want to be with you, Jay," Leo murmured, kissing his way down his brother's chest, his hand slowly stretching his sibling. "Forever, Jay."

Jay was silent for a moment, his breath coming in short gasps, before he wrapped his arms around his brother's shoulders. "All right." He inhaled sharply, a pained cry escaping him as Leo thrust inside. His nails scraped at his brother's back as Leo pushed into him again, deeper this time.

Leo wrapped his arms underneath his brother's back, drawing him closer as they rocked, whispering meaningless words into his ear. He shifted his position, making Jay gasp in sudden pleasure when he managed to hit that special bundle of nerves deep inside. The younger triplet whimpered again and bit down on his brother's shoulder as he came. Leo followed close behind, making his brother scream his name as he emptied hot seed into him.

The silver-gray haired boy lay exhausted and panting beneath his brother, blue eyes closed as he tried to regain his heart rate. Suddenly, he was pulled to his feat, and he gasped in surprise as Leo kissed him again fiercely.

Leo pushed the smaller boy into the wall, using the structure to hoist his brother up against him, Jay's knees thrown over his elbows. His brother moaned as he forced himself inside again and he didn't hold back this time, pushing inside as deep as he could, wanting to feel every part of Jay, to own him. "I love you, Jayfeather. More than you will ever know," he murmured against his brother's neck as he stole his body, his heart for himself.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Alalalalalala . . . Leo is a bit, if not a lot, more violent than Tora in this department. I might as well point out that Breeze, surprisingly, in the category of Seme's, is the most gentle. *tee hee*. Next chapter . . . The return of your most favoritest charies, Tora and Hiro!!! Dun dun duuuuhhh . . . Take a look at the pictures on my site to see a preveiw one for the next chapter (it's the last one on the page, and it's super cute. With Tora, Hiro,

and ????

Oh, yeah. This chapter is named after the song "Nothing I Won't Give" from Full Metal Alchemist. It's a song about two brothers. (though I despise that particular pairing. -_-) and if anyone's wondering, Jay is in fact more reluctant to do any of this than Leo. He loves his brother dearly, but Leo's love is possessive and not the same sort of love


	6. Chapter 7

**Intertwining Stars: Amber and Blue**

Niku was two years old. Nearly three now, though he could have sworn his birthday was only a little while ago. His most recent birthday had been the first time he'd understood the concept of opening presents after all. But Taka kept telling him they'd be three soon.

He glanced across the expanse between their car seats towards his brother. They were identical twins, so his mother said. Taka's brown hair was the same shade as Niku's and, just like his brother's, it shifted into a darker shade near the ends. Except, despite being identical, Taka's eyes were blue, while Niku's were not.

At the moment, Taka was fiddling with the straps of his car seat, looking very annoyed at the fact that he couldn't figure out how to undo himself from the confines. Niku smiled at this, and returned to playing with his toy jet plane his mother had gotten him a few days ago. He liked the plane, a lot. He liked playing with his plane with his brother, who had received an identical one. Though Niku preferred to have a safe landing, while Taka insisted on making them crash.

It was mid winter now, and their car was laden with groceries and assorted presents for the twins, though the two were still too young to consider looking in the bags to check. Taka kept looking out the window, tilting his head to one side, as if listening to something, before trying to wrench the seatbelt off again.

And it came undone, just as his mother's grip on the steering wheel faltered, and their car skidded across the ice. Taka leapt out of his seat, flinging himself at his brother, undoing the bonds around him and tackling him to the ground as the car crunched into a tree on the side of the road. Their car seats themselves, which their mother had failed to properly strap down, were flung forward. Glass shattered, and Niku lay stunned as his brother shielded him, and the sound of sirens wailed in the distance. Everything went black.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Tora answered the phone first, rolling over in bed to catch it off the nightstand with a moan of annoyance, "'Lo?"

His eyes widened as he listened, but he surprisingly remained silent through the conversation, "All right, I'll come by in a few hours, is that all right? Yeah, of course. Yes, that's fine. Okay, see you then. Bye."

The twenty-two year old rolled over onto his back again, before sitting up in bed, feeling slightly dazed. He got up, managed to remember that most people liked it better when he wore clothes, and went downstairs. He fished a pot out of the drawer and some eggs out of the fridge, and began making some decent breakfast. It was only a few moments later when he heard the quiet, sleepy steps coming down the stairs and he smiled to himself.

Drowsy arms wrapped around the dark haired man's waist, and a sleep ruffled orange mop of hair leaned against his back. "Why the hell are we up so early?" a voice asked with a yawn.

"You didn't have to get up right after I did, Hiro," Tora pointed out mildly, flipping the eggs over in the pan.

"But the bed was cold," Hiro stated, trying in vain to rub sleep from his emerald eyes against the back of Toratsume's shirt, "Is Raven still sleeping?"

"Yeah, should be. What eleven year old gets up at the crack of dawn on winter break?" Tora chuckled, removing the eggs from the pan and depositing them onto two plates in even portions. His brother could make his own breakfast when he got up sometime after noon.

The older man had a bit of trouble untangling Hiro from around him, but managed to place his sleepy lover in the chair across from him at the table. He waited a few moments, watching as Hiro chewed the eggs dazedly, before he spoke, "What do you think about having kids?"

Hiro's eyes widened, and he choked on the food in his mouth, spitting it back out onto the plate, much to Tora's amusement and disgust. "K-kids?!?! Are you insane!?!?" Hiro choked out, gulping down a mouthful of water to stop his coughing, "Is that why you took me to the doctor three days ago? Did they do something to me? I _knew_ you were evil . . ."

Tora laughed, and shook his head, "No, no, and I'm not that evil. I took you to the doctor so you could get a check up, idiot. How many times do I have to tell you that? You have to have one every two months, whether you like it or not, remember?"

Hiro glared across the table at the dark haired man, "So what. Doesn't mean I like being poked and prodded, or know what half the crap they do to me is. I just know that they _say_ they're looking at my spine and such. It could be a lie."

The older man sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "Hiro, if they ever invent a way to make a guy pregnant, I'll be sure to tell you."

"Why?"

"So we can use it, duh."

Hiro nearly choked on his food again, "_Thanks_ . . . Anyways, why did you ask that so suddenly?"

Tora nodded, as if just now remembering what he was supposed to be talking about, "Oh, right. Well . . . Uh . . . I kinda said that I'd take some in?" It came out as a question.

Hiro raised an eyebrow, "From where."

Tora sighed, leaning back in his chair as he spoke, "They're my nephews. My sister got into a car accident yesterday . . ."

"You have a sister?" Hiro asked, genuinely surprised.

"We didn't get along. She's eight years older than me, and sort of left me to take care of Raven on my own, even though I was only in middle school. And she was graduated and in collage." He shook his head, as if trying to shake away the memory of her entirely. "Anyways, she has, I mean, had two twin boys." "Had?"

Tora raised his eyes so that he met Hiro's gaze evenly, "She died, Hiro."

Hiro's emerald eyes widened, and he looked down, "So now what then?"

"So now, I told my family that I would take the little squirts in. They have nowhere else to go."

The redhead's eyes clouded, before he nodded determinedly, "all right. Let's go get them then."

When they arrived at the hospital, Hiro visibly seemed to wilt. He hated hospitals, as he had spent six months of his senior year in high school in one, and even longer after that learning to walk again. As they stood at the check in desk, his legs nearly gave out from under him at the memories. Of the hospital and the night that had caused the injury that had kept him there.

Tora's hand slipped into his and he led his lover down the hallway reassuringly. There were no words between them, but Hiro immediately calmed, his fingers twining around Tora's as they walked.

"We'll only be able to take one of them home today," Tora told him quietly, "The other one is in surgery, and will need to stay here for another week." He pushed open the door the small room in the pediatrics ward and they entered a room bathed in white.

A boy that looked eerily similar to Tora was sitting in the bed, his gaze turned towards the window. But as the door shut behind them, he noticed them. And he gasped in terror as his amber eyes fell on Tora.

Hiro almost laughed as the small child threw the covers over his head with a small shriek. But then he frowned. There was something familiar about the child, and not just in the way he looked like Tora. Hiro let go of his lover's hand and crossed the room to sit at the boy's bedside.

"Hey, it's okay, come on out, I won't hurt you," he whispered, glancing at the nametag on the edge of the bed, "Niku, right? Come on out."

Niku peeked over the top of the blankets he clutched firmly in his hands. His eyes widened as amber met emerald and he sat up a bit straighter. "Firestar?"

Hiro stood up, startled. No one ever used that name for him, no one but Tora . . . And that was saved for . . . Special times. He raised a hand to his forehead, as for the first time in two years, his mind swam with blood. He vaguely noticed Tora's arms wrapping around him as he collapsed to the linoleum floor.

_Fire, a kitten with amber eyes, the exact replica of Tigerclaw. A forest torn apart as bulldozers smashed their way through the trees. Fourtrees being ripped up from it's roots. The same cat standing on the edge of a makeshift camp, and then leading them in a long, dangerous, deadly journey through snow and mountains. To a lake that sparkled with starlight. Then blood, badgers, and a river of crimson flowing down to the lake's shore. His own blood and one others. The cat stood over him, triumph and grief in his eyes._

Hiro opened his eyes, sucking in a shaking breath. Tora was kneeling behind him, apparently suffering from the same vision, though they had both been sure that the older man's dreams and visions would have stopped two years ago, as he had died in that alternate world. Apparently, this wasn't so.

The redhead looked at the child now, fully understanding who he was. "Brambleclaw," he whispered.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Bum dun dun bish! *drumset* did u see that coming? I posted picy's of Niku on my website, :D yes, he is Brambleclaw. And that means his brother is . . . Hahahahahaha. *hugs the twins* if your wondering about Squirrelflight and Leafpool, and Crowfeather, they'll be popping up soon too. :] litterally for the two sisters, as they're not born yet. Ten bucks says you can't guess who their parents are in this world, though I hinted a bit at the end of ETMHWRY at who. Lol. Niku and Taka are the same age as Kohone and Arashi right now btw. I bet you're glad to have Tora and Hiro back though, right? I loved writing the scene in the kitchen with them, so much. Believe it or not, I missed them too. This fic, now that I'm planning it out fully, will be probably longer than ETMHWRY. Uh . . . .


	7. Chapter 8

**Intertwining Stars: Hearts and Bonds**

Tora smirked as he stirred the soup over the oven. Unconsciously, he began tapping his foot to the beat of the music that had suddenly blared up from the stereo in the next room.

A dark-gray haired man a few years younger than him waltzed into the room, swaying to the tone of the music. He shifted from foot to foot, grinning widely, "I got you thinking all them bad things. I got you reaching for them body parts."

The older man laughed, "I'm about to make you do the walk of shame," he chimed in, "you never thought that you would false start."

The younger man spun in a weird form of a pirouette, coming up behind Tora, "and now time is ticking, hearts are skipping ready to go."

"Feel like my logic's missing, head is spinning out of control," Tora replied, stirring the spaghetti again before turning to face the other. And together they sang loudly, "You've got my body twitching, thirst is quenching, ready to go. Something, something lalala . . . This is my show!"

Tora shot his companion a glare, "You messed up the words, Gray."

"So did you!" Gray pointed out. He turned, and put a hand against Tora's chest as he launched into the next verse, "You got my mind in the gutter-"

"When we're touchin on each other," Tora smirked.

"Rollin round, under covers, blowing kisses like we're lovers," they sang together, miming out the blowing kisses part.

From the doorway to the kitchen, a spoon flew and hit Gray in the back of the head. "Stop. You're freaking me out," a female voice said coldly.

Gray turned to look at the woman over his shoulder, grinning sheepishly at the white and brown-gold flecked hair and green eyes, "Sorry Mitsuki." She glared and pointed behind her, to where an annoyed looking Hiro was standing. "Err . . . Sorry Hiro?"

Hiro narrowed his eyes at his best friend and muttered something under his breath. "You do know that we have a small child sleeping upstairs, don't you," it wasn't a question, "Stop playing that dirty music in our house!"

"Tora doesn't mind it," Gray pointed out, at which, Mitsuki stomped across the room and smacked him upside the head.

"What about your own children mister?" she pointed a finger to the other room where the two silver haired twins were dancing around singing something along the lines of "reaching for those body parts."

"Oh . . . Uh . . ." he frowned and ran over to his kids, throwing a hand over each of their mouths and muttering a few scolding words in their ears.

Hiro shot a glare at his back, smirking as the other flinched from it without even looking, before he walked over and wrapped his arms possessively around Tora's waist. "You're an irresponsible moron," he said quietly.

"I wasn't flirting with him, and neither was he. Stop being jealous," Tora stated, ruffling Hiro's hair affectionately, "And anyways, what did you learn about Niku? As far as I know, children that young that weren't medicine cats in that other world, shouldn't have memories of that place at that age."

Mitsuki nodded, "True. And even I didn't start to remember until I was about five. Tora was thirteen. And Hiro . . . You were sixteen, correct? And some people, like Gray, don't remember at all. So why a child so young? Why Brambleclaw?" She tilted her head towards the doorway, where Gray was sitting with his two children, "They have yet to remember anything at all, aside from the basics even Gray knows. Feelings, bonds, and the Warrior code."

"Feelings?" Hiro echoed, a bit confused.

"Yes," she replied smoothly, "the strongest feelings seem to transcend the worlds. Yours towards Tigerclaw. Or Gray's towards Ari." Her eyes clouded briefly at this, "That's why . . . It's difficult to believe it when the people with another self in that world say things like 'love' to someone other than the ones they loved in the forest." She turned her eyes towards Gray again, then back to Hiro, "Kohone loves to draw birds. Though I won't tell you why. And Arashi is overly protective of his sister when we all go out. And both of them love the sound and feel of water. Those are feelings that are carved inside our souls, because we are the same as the cats in that other world. But Niku seems to have every memory, though we have yet to test this theory to its fullest."

Tora smiled slightly, "All that aside, Mitsuki, if you had never been a medicine cat, and if I had stayed in Thunderclan . . . How do you think things would have ended up, for you? Different circumstances can bring out strong feelings that were left hidden in that other world." He patted her softly on the shoulder, "So, stop thinking that Gray is going to change his mind."

She looked away, "You haven't seen as far as I have, Tora . . . There was someone else for him after Ari. And I'm sure that one day, we'll run into her too."

Hiro rolled his eyes, and leaned over to poke her swollen stomach, "You are days away from popping girl. Stop fussing about stupid things, and tell me if you've picked out names yet!"

She laughed, "Yes, we have. Risu, and Mizutamari. Mizu for short. I'm sorry that Gray and I will be stealing your daughters away from you, Hiro."

Hiro raised an eyebrow, "Eh? You realize that I haven't dreamed in two years, right? The only new face in that world I know right now is Brambleclaw's."

"I'm sure you saw them in that vision," Mitsuki smiled, "a she-cat who looked just like you standing at his side I suspect."

Hiro's eyes widened, "She was . . ."

"Well, yes. But she'll be my child now," Mitsuki grinned, "But in the meantime, you get Brambleclaw."

"So."

She turned her back to him, walking into the next room, "He considered you his father, Hiro. More so than the blood father who betrayed his clan. And yet, he was taught by the both of you. In all aspects, he was truly your son, a child of Tigerclaw and Fireheart."

The doorbell rang just as she passed it and she opened it with a smile, as though she'd known that their guest would arrive at this exact moment, "Glad you could make it. We might need your help, Ash."

Ash stepped into the house, shaking some snow from his hair, "Long time no see Mitsuki! Great Starclan you've gotten huge! I heard from Jay that you were expecting twins? Gray . . . You perv."

Gray blushed and narrowed his eyes at the newcomer, "Oh shut up. And anyways, what are you doing here?"

"Don't be so rude," Mitsuki muttered, flicking her husband on the forehead hard enough that he lurched backwards, "I called him. In the other world, he was the same generation as Kohone, Arashi, and Niku. We need to find out how much Niku remembers from that place, so he's here to help."

"Meany," Gray whispered, making a pouting face, "Why not me or someone else?"

Mitsuki's eyes clouded for a moment at this, "Gray . . . For a good portion of Niku's life there, you were . . ." she shook her head swiftly, "never mind. Anyways, Hiro, will you bring Niku down?"

Hiro nodded, glancing at Tora, "Stay out of sight until we've finished with this. He's . . . scared of you . . ." With that, he made his way up the stairs. His hand hesitated at the door to the room they'd set up for Niku and his brother. Slowly, he opened the door.

Niku was sitting on the edge of the bed facing the door, as if waiting for Hiro. "There are other people here," he said seriously, his face grim, "Are they companions of yours, or of Tigerstar's?"

Hiro shivered slightly, normal children shouldn't talk like that. "Both, I guess," he answered honestly, reaching out a hand towards the child.

"You're with him, Tigerstar," Niku said, "why? He hurt Thunderclan, why are you at his side?"

The redhead lowered his gaze as he led Niku back down the stairs, "This isn't Thunderclan, Niku. He's different here. Lots of things are different. You'll meet people you never met in the forest. Because circumstances change from world to world."

Arashi came bounding to the foot of the stairs, his sister hot on his heels as Hiro led Niku down. The small boy's amber eyes widened as he saw them, then glazed over with tears. He leapt forward, flinging his arms around Arashi's neck, "Stormfur . . . And Feathertail . . . How . . ."

Mitsuki's eyes widened at his words, "It can't be . . . Ash, he might have regained all of Brambleclaw's memories... That reaction . . . There's nothing else to explain it."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "He shouldn't remember far enough ahead in time as that to act as such, right? It's supposed to be age equivalent except for with Medicine cats. That's why Hiro doesn't understand. Unless . . . he received a shock hard enough to regain the memories. Like how it was for me." He stepped forward, "Niku."

The child did not respond, or look up from his tight grip on Arashi. Ash cocked his head to the side, "Brambleclaw, look at me."

Niku raised his eyes, his grip on Arashi loosening as he reached out a hand towards Ash. "Ashfur . . ."

Ash smiled gently, and lifted the child up into his arms, "That's right," he whispered, pressing his forehead to the other's. Niku's small hands reached up to tangle in his hair, and he closed his eyes to hold back the tears, "I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry, Ashfur. It was my fault . . ."

"I never blamed you," Ash murmured. "Now, Brambleclaw, we need to know . . . How much you remember."

Niku raised tear filled amber eyes to meet dark blue, "Everything . . ."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Dum di di . . . Yes, Gray and Mitsuki got married, cause I thought it's be cute. I always thought they'd make a sweet pairing. And yeah, I hate Millie. :P also . . . No, this is NOT gonna be BrambleAsh in here. I already have a partner lined up for Ashy, no worries, and Squirrelflight is going to be born soon. Lol. Niku's a bit of a weirdo right now though. Eh . . . And also, the song at the beginning that Tora and Gray were signing is "Mind in the Gutter" by Chris Crocker. When I heard it a few days ago, I weirdly thought of those two dancing to it. :D so I just had to add that in.


	8. Chapter 9

**Intertwining Stars: A Dieing Fire**

Jay ran a hand across his brother's forehead, brushing stray firry hairs from his eyes. "You're getting a fever again," he murmured. "If you stay here like this day in and day out, you're going to get sick.

Leo blinked glazed amber eyes, and turned over in his bed until he faced the wall. But he said nothing.

"I'm going to go call him," Jay said quietly, warningly. As if he was trying to elicit a response from his brother. "And I'm going to go over to Breeze's house. Don't you care?"

Still, Leo said nothing.

Jay sighed, and left the lightless bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. He actually didn't need to call anyone, as he'd done so before he'd even dared to enter his brother's room. Leo hadn't gone to classes all week so far again, it was a wonder he hadn't failed yet. But Jay wouldn't force him to. And Leo wouldn't listen to him anyways. Every few weeks, Leo seemed to lose himself in some sort of darkness. And Jay couldn't break him out of it anymore.

For the first year after their fight with Chi, he'd been able to free him from it. Because Leo had taken the darkness with a dose of violence. And Jay had slept with him more times than he could count on those nights. But he couldn't do it anymore, couldn't let his brother do that to him. So he'd told Breeze about it, and Breeze had told someone else. And that someone seemed to be the only one that could break Leo out of the daze anymore. Though the violent streak had passed, and only the blank eyes remained.

There was a knock at the door, and Jay rose to go answer it, though he knew very well that the visitor had a key. As he opened it, a worried voice reached his ears. "I'm sorry, I was over at Tora and Hiro's. How bad is it?"

"He hasn't eaten in two days, and he wont talk. How bad do you think?" Jay replied sarcastically. "I don't know why he's like this. Just . . . Make sure he eats something please. And try and get him to explain a bit too. I'm sorry to have to ask this of you, Ash."

Ash shook his head, brushing past Jay and making his way down the hall to the bedroom. He pushed the door open in near silence, poking his head around the corner cautiously. He'd lied when he'd told Jay that Leo's violent streaks had subsided. Sometimes, when he saw Ash, he attacked, though it was more on instinct than actual sight. It made Ash wonder what Leo had been dreaming about on those nights.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling the covers off of the boy, scooping him up into his arms, and ignoring the low growl of protest. "Why must you be like this, Leo," Ash whispered, pushing aside ember bangs with gentle fingers.

Leo leaned against the older man's chest, pressing his face against the cloth of his shirt so that he wouldn't have to meet his eyes. "A dream," he said softly.

"We all have those," Ash chided. "Just because you started receiving them later than most doesn't mean-"

"A dream about that night," the younger boy said hoarsely.

Ash fell silent, drawing the redhead closer to himself.

"At Raikou . . . And I . . ." He covered his face with his hands, "I pushed her! My own sister, I let her fall, with these hands!" He drew them back from his face, staring at them as if he could somehow still see the blood that had been washed away years before. He reached out, grasping hold of Ash's shirt, startling the dark haired man slightly. "Is that what the real me is like? Is that what _Lionblaze_ is like? A cold-blooded killer?"

Ash curled his hand around the one gripping his shirt, "I couldn't tell you, Leo. Her death came after my own in that place. I can't tell you if you were responsible for her death, or if it was some other cat. I'm sorry."

Leo's eyes clouded, "And who was it that killed you?"

The older man merely smiled sadly at this, "It is not my place to tell you that, Leo. I've told you that before."

The redhead shivered, shaking his head furiously, "I just . . . I don't want it to have been me. No one else should have to die because of me . . ."

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Jay stood with his back against the door to their apartment for a few moments longer before he stopped listening. It wasn't really his business to hear their whispered words anyways. There were many things that he kept his brother in the dark about when it came to the forest beside the lake of their dreams. And Ashfur was the darkest secret of them all.

Yet somehow, the same cat who had done something so horrible was the only person in this world who was able to get through to Leo any more. Jay bit his lip at the thought. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong. Leo was remembering more and more each day. And of everything, Jay dreaded the day he would remember what Ash had done to them.

He himself could still feel it in every core of his being. The fire that had blazed all around them, singing their fur. The way his breath had come in short gasps as smoke threatened to suffocate him. How Lionblaze had stood between him and the flames, shielding him not just from the fire itself, but from the cat who carried a piece of their name. he could hear the cold laugh above the crackle and spark of the fire. And he could feel his brother's agony. The pure raw agony in his brother's heart as he stared at the mentor who had betrayed them.

How could he tell his brother what had truly happened? It was the reason for everything that had ever gone wrong in their life, then and now. It was why Hollyleaf, and Holly, had _died_. And now it was the same as before, his brother trusted Ash so wholeheartedly, finding out the truth would break him all over again.

He couldn't tell him. He wouldn't. There had never been any dark intentions from the Ash of this world, so unless he sensed any, he himself would remain silent. But whether Ash decided to tell Leo . . . Well, that was another matter entirely.

Jay was startled out of his thoughts as a gentle hand rested against his head, "Hey, you okay?" The shorter teen smirked, "Yeah, of course I am, idiot. Leo's the one who's always in trouble these days."

"As it should be," Breeze laughed, "that guy's so full of himself sometimes."

"And that's the pot calling the kettle black," Jay retorted smoothly. "Now, are you going to take me to your house, or what. I'm blind here, I can only get so far on a busy street before I die."

Breeze laughed again, "Sure, sure. And can we do naughty indecent things at my house?"

Jay rolled his sky blue eyes, "Uh, no. don't even count on it. When have we _ever_ done something like that, mouse-brain?"

"Never, that's why I keep asking," Breeze pouted. He took the other's hand , twining their finger together and feeling pleased when Jay didn't pull away.

The younger of the pair let himself be led down the stairs, his own thoughts on such things running rampant in his mind. He was holding back, always holding back. He didn't want Breeze to get to close, and he himself always held the other at arm's length.

And even now, he could feel a growing unease at Breeze's touch. His mind swam and he could almost feel cold claws on his back. He gasped almost inaudibly, a sound Breeze took no notice of. Something was wrong, something was horribly wrong. He hadn't gone far enough in the memories of the lake to understand this feeling. He'd never dared to tread past his discovery of Dovepaw's powers in his dreams. Never. But why was that?

He stared sightlessly up at Breeze, his hand shaking slightly in his grip. Something was wrong with his memory. He should know everything that had happened in that world, bur something was horribly wrong. There was something he wasn't allowing himself to remember, something that _hurt_ to remember.

"_I'll never forgive you for what you've done! Never!"_

His heart thudded painfully in his chest, and he squeezed his eyes shut, thought their was no difference in the shades of darkness. He could still feel Breeze's hand around his own, and he tightened his grip on it. _Please no . . . Please no Starclan, no. I don't want to remember this! It's bad, it hurts, please don't let something that hurts this bad be true!_

Something had happened between himself and Breeze, long ago beside that lake. Something he'd purposefully blocked from his mind. And he didn't want to know what it was.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

A boy with light autumn colored hair was standing in front of the apartment building as Jay walked out with Breeze. They took no notice of him, laughing between them with smiles in place. The boy could sense the unease and uncertainty in Jay's posture however, and he watched them a moment before smirking slightly to himself.

He'd been searching for a long time for others like himself, and finally, he'd found them. Strangely enough, they'd been going to his college for the past year, a good handful of them. He could sense the lake in their hearts, and the forest in the back of their minds. Nearly all of them were Thunderclan born, but he didn't mind. After all, he too was Thunderclan.

Flicking the coat sleeve up from his wrist, he gazed down at the scars going across his arm with blue eyes. These were not scars he'd given himself, or even stranger, had memories of. At least not in this world. He knew very well where they'd come from, he could still feel the claws on his skin, and the laughter of the cat that had inflicted them.

Shivering slightly, he pulled his coat closed again. That person didn't exist in this world, he knew that for certain. And because of that, he had one more chance. One more chance to meet someone and do things right. Without all the pain.

No, he never wanted to go through any of that again. He could still taste the blood in his mouth from that day by the lake. The taste of the pain his love had brought himself, and the anguish it had brought the cat he'd given his love to.

His fingers tightened around the collar of his jacket, and he turned away from the apartment building with a confident smile. He'd wait to reveal himself to Jay. After all, he still had to find that person he felt he was destined to meet all over again.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

Chapters will slow down a bit now, cuz I caught up to myself, sorries. Also, spoilers for Omen and the end of Po3 from now on, you have been warned. :]

So, could you tell who the strange kitty at the end was? I left some very cryptic but clear hints. (that I'm very proud of btw.) But this is the one part of the story that isn't entirely related to the cannon books. More or less, it connects directly with one of my earlier fics. Guess which one? (actually, the title is hidden in plain sight right up there. :D ) So this fic will be better understood if you've read that other fic, get it? Got it? GOOD! So tell me if you've guessed who the kittah is. :]


	9. Chapter 10

**Intertwining Stars: Lightning Storm**

This Chapter has no plot importance whatsoever. But if you would do me the honor of reading it, start to finish, it would mean the world to me.

A girl with auburn red hair shifted where she sat on the roof of a building in the city, feet dangling over the edge in a carefree way. The people below all looked so tiny from her position above them, so unimportant, miniscule, one of many. But she knew that it was so much more than that. Each person, seeming so small from this vantage point, was a life. Each life, tied to hundreds, maybe thousands of others, affecting them in some small way, one person at a time.

She leaned back a bit, turning her gaze to the sky, watching the distant storm clouds rolling in on the horizon behind her with bored interest. Curling her fingers into the bottom of her dark t-shirt, she twisted the fabric, hard. It was almost as if she was daring it to rip, daring it to fall apart when she herself could not do such a thing.

All her life, she'd trained herself to be strong, like a man, rather than a young girl. When hurt, cut, or bruised, she never cried. Crying showed weakness, and that was one thing that she could never do. Weakness made the enemy only want to hurt you more, hit you harder, kill you even. So even if she wanted to cry, deep down somewhere, she never did.

Her tongue was as sharp as her lack of real emotions. As quick to lash out with a scathing retort as her mouth was to hide sadness with a false, but believable smile. Few people ever saw through the mask, something she took pride in. A life spun out of lies and false emotions was how she got by. In truth, her life more or less revolved around the worlds she herself was not a part of

The characters in books were her companions when she had none, and the words that she herself threw across pages as she wrote connected her to people around the world. It was this that she prided herself most on. She cared for each and every one of the people that replied in earnest to the tiny worlds she'd wrought. She didn't consider herself above them, more like an equal. She took the time to read their stories too, give lengthy, heartfelt replies to their words when she had the time, and she took it when she could get it. Those people had become more important to her than the characters she created. If nothing else, she kept writing solely for them, even when she wanted to give up entirely.

Her smile faltered for the first time in a long while as she turned to glance at the boy beside her. The words she'd seen on the page the day before were eternally burned into her mind. And it hurt, so much that she could hardly bear it. She attempted to smile again, her mouth wavering, "Raikou . . ."

He grinned at her, the way she had always imagined that he did while replying to her notes and stories. "That's a funny face you're making, Hikari. Almost like you're about to cry," he laughed slightly, with none of the falsities behind her own weak chuckle.

Hikari rubbed a hand over her eyes, holding back the invisible tears he had seen, "No, no . . . I'm okay." She turned towards him again, this time, her smile sincere. "Raikou, I'm glad I got to show you the pictures," she whispered. "Every time you reviewed, it made me want to draw more of them. There's even more than the ones I showed you sitting at home. I . . . I wanted to show them all to you, Raikou . . ."

Raikou shook his head, "I can see them, I can see them right now, so it's okay, Hikari."

"I never got to show you the end of the story either," she continued. "Intertwining Stars . . . That one was half you, you know? You were always so enthusiastic about the next chapter, it made me laugh. I wanted to write because everyone was supporting me. You're part of that everyone, Raikou." Hikari swallowed hard, trying to continue without her voice shaking, but failing after a few more uncertain gulps of air. The words wouldn't come.

He smiled slowly, "I'll keep reading you know. Just believe that, and keep writing." Raikou leaned back, glancing at the approaching clouds, "Even . . . Even if you don't hear from me . . . It doesn't mean I'm not there." He smiled again, closing his eyes, "You inspired me, Hikari. You're writing made me want to write too, never forget that. Hell, you practically invented Warriors Slash."

She swallowed again, reaching out as if to touch his arm, but pulling away at the last second, "So, where will you go now, Raikou?"

Raikou grinned at this, looking at her again, "Now? Oh, I don't know, there's so many possibilities. I like the idea of Starclan, what do you think?"

Hikari laughed slightly at this, "That's for cats, silly."

"I'm cat at heart," he scoffed, flicking a fallen leaf off of his shirt, "I've walked those forests just as long as Firestar has, same as you. I believe, so I think that's enough, don't you?"

She nodded silently, leaning back to look up at the clouds again, "Yeah . . . That should be enough."

"And then I'll get to find out what happens to all the kitties long before you do," he mocked teasingly, to which Hikari simply rolled her eyes.

The redhead paused a moment, turning to look at him again, "Does it hurt . . . Raikou?"

He was quiet for awhile, eyes closing slowly in thought, "Not like you'd think it would, no. It hurts in different ways. To leave behind, and at the same time, be left behind. That's what's really painful about it. There are things I regret, many things. But everyone will have the same sort of regrets in time as well, that's just a part of it." He flexed his fingers, clenching them against his hand, "But . . . I realize that there's not really so much that can be done about that. So, I'll keep reading, reading everything you write, everything the Erin's write. And I'll watch. My friends, my family, everything and everyone. That's all I can do, you know?"

She smiled again, this time, a bit more sincere, "That's like telling me not to worry, isn't it."

"A little, yeah," he laughed. "You'll get the Erin's to put me in the books, right? Like Brightspirit was?"

"It's my new life goal," she chuckled, but her tone was honest. Her eyes turned downcast again, filled with held back tears, "Raikou . . . I'll miss you . . ."

"I know," he whispered, glancing at the sky again. "Just don't kill off Leo, or Jay, or Ash, or Birch, and all that Blah blah, and you won't have a vengeful ghost on your hands." He waved his fingers in the classic ghost-like "wooo" motion, causing her to laugh again. "So, be seeing you then?"

Hikari nodded, "Yeah, in Starclan, I'll see you. Give them slash filled hell for me until then, okay?"

Raikou laughed, "Of course, nothing else would be more fun than that." He stood up, brushing off the back of his pants absentmindedly before facing the storm clouds once more. Looking over his shoulder at her, he turned slightly, placing a hand over her eyes, "It's okay, you know? I won't tell anyone that you cried."

She closed her eyes, stifling the sob that threatened to escape as the tears silently trickled down her cheeks. The fingers were removed from her eyes, and when she dared open them, she was alone on the roof once again. Her hand rubbed across her cheeks, trying to stop the tears, to no avail. So instead, she simply gave in and cried for the friend that was never coming back.

**A Note From Kari Kurofai**

**Raikou Arashi passed away not long ago. He loved this story very much, and I always looked forward to his reviews. He was with me from practically the moment Taste Of Pain came into being, and from then on after. This chapter was solely for him, and what I've been feeling these last few days after reading that he was no longer alive. I've broken down out of the blue every few hours, and right now, it's really hard for me to write. But for all of you still with me, I will. Because I believe that he's still supporting me, wherever he is. So know that each and every one of you are so, so important to me, and that I don't **_**ever**_** want to lose you. Don't do stupid things, or take stupid risks, because other people love you. And if you've never prayed to Starclan before, pray now. Raikou, I love you buddy. This one is for you.**


	10. Chapter 11

**Intertwining Stars: The Sound Of Falling**

Birch did not grow up in a pleasant household. His father was silent, his mother uncaring. They had an heir, that was all that mattered. Someone who carried their blood so that their expansive money would not be left to rot when they were gone. His father owned the college that Jay and his friends attended, that was how Birch had found them. By watching and listening and noticing and all those things he was strangely good at.

He was small for his age, had always been small. For years he hadn't understood why. Just as he didn't know why he'd been born with so many scars. His parents, when they actually talked to him, couldn't explain it, brushing them off as strange birth marks. He knew better.

At night, he dreamed. First, it was of a forest falling apart at the roots, torn up and gouged, _bleeding_ with the pain of the creatures that had once called it home. On those nights, he'd woken up screaming. And then, he'd dreamed of a lake. So much more peaceful and serene than the forest had ever been, it made his heart hurt. It was then that he realized that he had _been_ to these places. That they were not just figments of his imagination and unconscious state. That the paws that he had stared down so many times, the blue eyed reflection in the water, was his own. He did not know his name, though other cats spoke it to him. The word remained muffled and muted to his ears, no matter how many times they said it.

Some nights, he woke up crying, hot tears staining his cheeks and turning his eyes red. He would bury his face in his already damp pillow and sob then, though the memories locked in those dreams had faded upon awakening. He knew why he cried. He knew that the reason was the same as the one behind his mysterious scars. But he could not remember it.

It was the first time he'd seen Jay that he remembered, in a flash of agony and despair. They'd gone to the same high school, in the same grade even. But they'd barely ever crossed paths. But the instant they did, he knew. Knew that Jay was like him, remembering some world far away and at the same time, unable to remember the things that mattered most.

He'd gone home early that day, sick to his stomach. He remembered the trap that he'd fallen into, the mocking laughter so bent on a revenge he didn't understand. He remembered the unforgiving claws and the furious, relentless eyes and bored into him as he was literally torn apart. And he remembered being thrown into the lake, left for dead. Why hadn't he died then?

Everything that had happened after that had only brought him more pain, more than he could he could bear. The pain of leaving behind, and in turn, being left behind. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, and on the tip of his tongue were three names.

The first two he paid little attention to, other than to watch for anyone who looked remotely similar to them, in hair and eye color, in personality. Honeyfern and Poppyfrost. Their names stung with poison on his lips.

And one more name. the one that made his heart break and heal all at the same time. Ache and pound, turn to ice and melt way to water in an instant. Berrynose. He'd made it a goal in his life to find this cat again, if nothing else. _I just want to see him, just once. Nothing more. I want to hear him laugh and see him smile like he never did by that lake._

His heart shuddered at the thought that it had been _his _fault that those smiles and that laughter had been lost. But at the same time, he knew that they'd been for him, and him alone in the first place. _Berrynose_. He wanted to meet him, one more time, and do things right. It was a chance he had not had before, and he would not give it up for all the world.

He'd spoken with his other self more than once, in the world of his dreams. It was not a dream of the lake, but rather, of an empty, white space. He held the cat balanced in his lap, and they talked. The cat told him his memories, no, _their_ memories. The ones closest to his heart, and the ones farthest from it. And he, in turn, told him everything he knew. It was in this way that he found out that Honeyfern, in all truth, did not exist in his world. And neither did her sister. They could not, it seemed, since certain events were different. So he was safe. But the scars were already there, reminding him of what they'd done, how he'd been _punished_ for his love.

So it was that he finally worked up the courage to approach Jay, a few days after he'd lurked outside the silver-gray haired boy's apartment. They were collage freshmen, and Jay was lucky indeed to be living outside the dorms, allowed because of his handicap. Birch caught him in one of the mess halls, eating a late lunch.

"Jayfeather," he whispered, in awe now that they were finally face to face.

Jay glanced up at him, as much of a glance as one who couldn't see could give. It was more of an acknowledging gesture than anything. His eyebrow quirked, and he studied Birch in the darkness of his mind, flicking through sounds and faded images created from dreams of dreams. "Birchfall," he said finally, a strange look crossing his face.

Birch smiled, finally knowing his name of that other world, "I'm sorry we haven't spoke before, Jayfeather."

"I can understand why you hesitated," Jay murmured, setting down the sandwich that had been balanced in his hands. "And I'm sorry I didn't notice you before. I usually notice people like us instantly. I can . . ." He paused, flicking his hand towards his eyes and to his ears, "I don't know how to explain it. It's like I can see your other self, hear it." He shrugged, "I'm glad you're here."

"I missed your sarcasm," Birch smirked, "But you can say it, you know. That I'm a pain in the but and total mouse-brain to boot."

Jay grinned, "Okay. You're a pain in my ass and a mouse-brain to top it all off." His smile faltered, "But, Birchfall . . . I can see the scars. They're shining in my mind. Did they hurt you again? How-"

"I was born with them," Birch whispered. "A reminder of what I'd done."

"Oh," Jay stalled, searching for the right words. "You . . . You want me to help, don't you? Help find him. Because I have the power to find him, stronger than yours." His blue eyes narrowed, "Birchfall, we can not be sure that he exists here. You know that."

"I do. But Jay, I can _feel_ him. I _need_ to find him, to make things right. Even if he doesn't remember who we were, or anything like that. Actually, I hope he doesn't remember the lake at all. It was to harsh, too unforgiving, to painful."

Jay nodded, "I know. For all of us."

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Taka's eyes opened slowly, and his head felt dazed and muddled, his thoughts forming together agonizingly slow. After a moment, he remembered what had happened, the screeching of tires, the crunch of steel on steel, and the shattering of glass. He reached around his back to press gingerly at the bandages there, where the window shards had embedded in his skin when he'd shielded his brother.

His brother. Taka jumped out of the hospital bed, wincing and stumbling to his knees with the pain the action caused him. Where was his brother? He needed to keep close to him, keep him safe. Above even his own life, keep him safe. He would not let Brambleclaw die_ again_. Never. Not while he still breathed.

The door creaked open and heavy steps approached him, cautious, but concerned upon seeing him kneeled on the floor. Taka's blue eyes rose as strong hands grabbed him under the arms, hefting him up to cradle him against strong shoulders. "Taka, what are you doing out of bed?"

He recognized that voice, and was torn between feeling comforted by it, or pushing away from it. He remembered, had since the day eh was born, and wished for all the world that he didn't. It was the owner of this voice that had made sure that Brambleclaw, _his_ Brambleclaw, died. Him, and Taka himself. It was an image, a sin, and an anguished regret burned into his mind forever.

Toratsume paled at the sight of the other's wary, but calm blue eyes. It was a memory he'd only newly regained, last night in fact. He and Hiro had been at Gray's house when it happened, both struck by a sudden vision of blue eyes and dark laughter reminiscent of Tigerclaw's own in that separate world. Hawkfrost.

And he could see in this child's eyes that he remembered everything, knew everything.

Taka tilted his head to the side, studying his new guardian with interest. "You won't kill him this time," he whispered slowly, "And neither will I, father."

Tora blinked and shuddered at the words. He didn't understand what the child was saying, but he felt a flash of recognition in it all the same. A spark that sent a brief, but clear flash though his mind. Of the dead and the living mingling together, fighting. Of blood that was not his own, because he was one of those dead. And with a growing dread, he realized that the smell that was on the blood had lingered in his nose as the memory died away. The smell of Fireheart. And of death.

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

I LIIIIIIIVVVVEEE!!! Dun dun duuuuhhh . . . Hello all, welcome back to this crazy ride of epic laziness on my part. It'll finish, I swear. Tho when is a mystery. Anywho . . . Taka and Birch are revealed in this chapter, so woohoo. As well as my plans for most of this sad little tale. I'll be working off of my theories for Omen Of The Stars, and how I predict that shit to play out. So spoilers are mostly accidentally. Except that I'm an amazing predictor. :D

Been working on a lot of stuff lately. Plus being sick, and my beta being sick, and cleaning my house, and trying to get scholarships with my epic fail grades. D: I wish I could earn money for this crap, because sometimes updates are a royal pain. An I've been reliving my H/D fandom as of late. (Harry/Draco. Even tho I prefer Draco/Harry. :] ). It's a habit I have every six months or so. I go around the various Harry Potter fanfiction sites and raid out all the good stuff. I must have read thirty multichapters in two weeks. I am pleased.

So I started (stupidly) some of my own for once. If you're the least bit interested in Harry Potter, please take a look. :D

But lately I've been busy trying to wrap up one of my Hetalia fics, and trying to overcome writers block and laziness on EVERYTHING. Ahhhh . . . Life. Anywho, review and you will get a much faster update. Do not, and I will take ages, just like this time. *le sigh* give the Kari luv guys. I need it to finish High School this year in one piece. That way I can write much more next year without curfews and time constraints and lack of computer when I'm in College. :D Glass Fire Curse Updates in a few days, I swear.

REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 12

**Intertwining Stars: A Broken You And Me**

Heather had once been a girl that people might call _kind. _Gentle, understanding, caring, compassionate, shy. All of these were words that could have aptly described her. At least, that was until Leo had betrayed her. Admitted that his brother meant more to him than she did. The thought of it made her sick, even to this day. And it had been over six years ago.

She'd tried so hard to wipe all of it from her mind, but that was next to impossible since they continued to go to the same school. Same classrooms, same teachers, same friends. And just when she'd thought she could get over him and the thorn he'd left in her heart, Breeze had said the exact same thing Leo had so many years ago.

_"Come on, Breeze! Why won't you go to Northern University with me! We could finally get away from this cursed place and be rid of everyone like us forever! I just want to live my life as it is now!"_

_She'd never seen Breeze's eyes flash with such anger as they did at that moment, and she shrunk back from it. "As do I," he said slowly, the words sounding forced as he clenched his teeth together. "Which is why I'm going to Raikou University with the everyone like us you speak of. This is my second chance to make up for all the wrong that I've done, Heather. The me in the other world, and the me in this one. We're one and the same. So I'm staying right here in this town. I want . . ." He raised a hand and fisted it into his hair with a low growl, "I want to make it up to him. I want to prove that I can change. Jay is everything to me, Heather," he whispered, eyes clouding with remorse and apology._

She had never expected him to say that. Not in a million years. But then again, the moment that he said that he'd made friends with Leo they'd been growing farther and farther apart. Maybe it was for the better then that he had lied to her like that, since she had a multitude of lies piled onto her by now as well.

Her hand moved straberry-blond locks away from her namesake heather eyes as she shuffled down the grocery isle with her cart, scanning the canned food lazily. On her small college budget she couldn't afford very much, and she couldn't go on the food plan since she didn't live in the dorms. Truthfully, she couldn't. Her own apartment gave her the space she needed to hide her well kept secrets, and she'd rather it stayed that way.

Heather sighed deeply as she began stacking some of the cans in her cart, scowling at the spam as it was added to the mix. Nasty stuff, but she couldn't afford real meat at the moment. A smirk crossed her lips as she piled tuna into the meddle, relieved that it was on sale and already planning to save up enough to get a steak or two with her next paycheck. With all the hard work she did, she rightly deserved it. She was one of the top students in her class after all.

A noise startled her out of her thoughts, the snaking sound of smooth fingers gliding over shelves and mumbled words hidden beneath hesitant footfalls. A small boy with autumn brown hair and sky blue eyes rounded the corner, murmuring something inaudible into the ear of another equally sized boy with silver gray hair and eyes of a slightly darker shade. The second kept his hand on the shelves, his eyes staring straight ahead in a way that thoroughly unnerved Heather, as it always had, and he paused, the first's hand resting against the small of his back as his eyes locked on her.

"Heather," he said coolly.

"Jay," she nodded curtly, fully planning to go about her business and ignore him as she highly preferred to do. But he was staring at her so intently that it sent a shiver up and down her spine. They hadn't seen each other in over a year, of that she'd been glad of. Though she knew this chance meeting was her own damn fault since she'd chosen to shop at a grocery store farther south after visiting her parents for the weekend.

Jay's eyes flickered over her frame as though he could actually see her, though she knew very well he was going over faded memories of sound and scent in his mind, trying to pick out something specific from that other world. She glanced at the first boy again, frowning as she realized that she couldn't recognize him. But from the way that Jay was blatantly allowing him such close contact that he'd restricted to only Leo and Breeze before told her enough. "You're Thunderclan?" she asked in a tone that hinted at disgust. She'd had enough of Thunderclan and their treacherous blood.

The other blinked in surprise, nodding slowly, "I'm Birch-er-Birchfall, if that's what you mean."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, recognizing the name that had been whispered in the gatherings to her in that other world. The she-tom. "I remember," she sneered after a moment's thought, flinching at the suddenly dangerous look Jay shot her. What could he do about in anyways, he was blind as a bat. "What's that look for, Jay?" she smirked. "Were you reading my mind again? Sorry you had to hear that then."

He snarled, taking a step forward as if to lunge at her, until Birch threw himself between them, catching Jay by the shoulders and halting him where he stood. "Jay, stop," he whispered worriedly, glancing over at Heather with frightened eyes that made her want to laugh aloud.

"She called you that horrible name in her head!" Jay hissed, struggling in Birch's stronger grip. "She called you a she-tom! What right does she have to say things like that!?" Birch stiffened noticeably, his grip on Jay loosening slightly, but still remaining as he shook his head, "Let her be. It's nothing," he whispered, though Heather could see that the term had left him visibly shaken.

Heather snorted, "Well, not that I care what happens over a stupid word like that," she said lowly, "But it was well called for after that look you were giving me, Jay. That was what was truly uncalled for. You take Leo from me, and then Breeze, then you cavort around with Birchfall? You're a slut."

Jay howled with rage, shoving Birch aside and reaching blindly towards her. And to Heather's utter surprise, he grabbed onto the collar of her shirt with precise accuracy just before he slammed her against the shelf behind her, sending canned food clattering to the floor. "Birch is my friend," he snarled. "And what I do with Leo, or Breeze, is hardly any of your business." His nose wrinkled suddenly, and he inhaled sharply, a shocked look crossing his sightless eyes. "You-"

Heather jerked away from him grabbing her cart with one hand and dashing down the isle and away, a guttural scream of fury ripping itself from Jay's through behind her. She didn't bother to pay for the food and simply pushed the cart outside without a backwards glance, piling the stuff into the car before speeding away.

Northern University was over an hours drive away, and she slumped down in her seat as she navigated the twisting highways, afraid of Jay somehow following her, afraid of someone noticing that she'd stolen the food. But hey, a penny saved was a penny earned.

Her shoulder hunched as she carried the cans up the stairs to her apartment, the keys shaking in her hand as she unlocked the door. This life was just becoming too stressful anymore, she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it.

Heather nearly fainted as she was immediately tackled to the ground upon entrance. "Oh my gawd, I'm never allowing you to visit your parents again! I'm fuckin' starved! What'd you bring me?" She wiggled beneath her attacker, managing to push herself into a sitting position with a frown. The other girl tilted her head to the side, confused at the look she was given, her shoulder length ebony hair falling over her emerald eyes and her slim shoulders. "What?"

"You're brother," Heather muttered sourly, "I think he knows."

Holly smirked, leaning forward until their noses were all but touching, "Don't ridiculous. Even if he has a suspicion that I'm not as dead as he thought, Leo will never believe him."

"You underestimate their bond," Heather hissed.

"And you've forgotten that Jay and Leo have much too much on their mind, with Breeze and Ash slowly pulling them apart."

"Don't forget Birch," Heather spat, "he was with Jay at the store today."

Holly scowled at the name, "Birchfall? Now that is a problem. He was quite a burden in that other world." She raised a hand between them, clenching fingers to palm slowly, "All three of them really. Breezepelt, the half brother of the clan I despised," she smiled apologetically at Heather after these words. "Ashfur, the idiot who got in my way. And Birchfall, the she-tom who tired to solve a murder that should have been left alone." She sighed, shaking her head before letting it fall to Heather's shoulder, "We need a plan, Heathertail."

"What sort of plan?"

The dark haired girl reached around her to pick up a can of spam, making a face at it. "Well," she said after a moment's thought. "I could care less about Jay, he's not the one who nearly killed me." She shivered as Heather's fingers trailed across her back, tracing the scars through her thin tank top. "But Leo is another matter," she growled. "And what is the Lion most afraid of? What even is literally burned into his mind?"

Heather laughed, "Now why didn't we think of that before? It's the one thing that can kill him, and his greatest fear and namesake. Oh how the mighty will fall when he is forced to remember how Ash betrayed him as he dies amidst the flames."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

D: I'm sooooooo sorry. ;_; being a senior is made out to be the easiest shit ever, but it's not. It's a pain in the ass. But I got my cap and gown this week! :D so only a little while to go now! :3

Anywho . . . I will never abandon u all, for sure. No worries. *hugs all* I'm putin my anime stories on hiatus this summer to finish this blah-blah off and GFC too while I work on my novel. :] so It'll end by august, okies?

This chapter is mucho imprtante, nah? Plus it reveals my secret love of Holly/Heather. *is ashamed* I like femslash juuuuussst a little - a TINY bit, seriously. And I got about 3 or 4 requests to add some, kay? = 3= the only other fem pair I even like at all is Belarus/Liechtenstein in Hetalia, so yah. REVIEW! I have to go make Wincest vids nows. Even tho I love Destiel better. *is a Supernatural fangirl*


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